MOSCOW - The Latah Recovery Center will make its debut next week, following months of preparation and community collaboration to organize the facility.
The center, located at 531 S. Main St. in Moscow, will officially open its doors Tuesday, providing assistance to community members in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction or mental illness. The facility will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
"I'm thrilled," John Lynch, a member of the center's advisory board, said of the center's opening. "I am absolutely so excited about this I can't even hardly talk about it."
The idea for a recovery center in Latah County began brewing more than a year ago with Darrell Keim, the center's new program director, and former Latah County Commissioner Tom Stroschein.
Work to create the center has been ongoing since then, with Latah County and state officials, medical and legal professionals, and residents meeting regularly to brainstorm ideas and bring them to fruition. The project gained momentum after the Idaho Legislature agreed to fund four statewide centers, including Moscow's. Latah, Ada, Canyon and Gem counties were each allocated $125,000 from the Idaho Millennium Fund beginning July 1 to cover the one-year startup costs for the centers, including the hiring of staff to run them.
The Latah Recovery Center is intended to serve as an accessible hub of information and programming. Its aim is to also be a supportive community for residents in recovery. Keim said he is "excited and nervous" for the center's soft opening next week, but noted there is still work to be done.
Several volunteers, including members of the center's advisory board, have spent time this week cleaning and organizing the facility for opening. The center has a one-year lease with Moscow's Masonic Lodge, Paradise Lodge No. 17, for the building that formerly housed Wheatberries Bake Shop.
Lynch, who was giving direction on the center's setup this week, said the center recently repainted the 1,800-square-foot location and the lodge itself installed new carpeting. Volunteers were primarily doing final cleaning, like washing the windows, dusting ceiling fans and washing chalkboards, as well as rearranging furniture to create the floorplan.
Lynch said the front of the center will be a reception area with a couch, chairs and bookshelves lined with various recovery-related literature. Along the left wall in the center of the facility will be a sectioned-off meeting space where programs can be administered. There will also be computers available to help people find employment or other resources.
In the back corner, there will be cubicle areas where phones will be set up and used for checking in on clients, Lynch said. The phone lines are not intended to be for crisis services, but instead will be used to keep in contact with clients to see how they are doing.
The center is structured to be a peer-based community with a number of the volunteers in recovery themselves, Keim said. A volunteer orientation is planned for 7 p.m. Thursday at the center and is open to any member of the community interested in helping.
"The only requirement is a desire to help," Keim said.
Keim said the most important aspect of the center is that it establishes a supportive environment for people in recovery. Volunteers are an essential aspect in creating a sense of community. The center also hopes volunteer support will allow for expanded hours in the future, Keim said.
"That's really what it's all about, is people helping people," he said.
While the center will be physically open and staffed Tuesday, Keim said he will continue working to establish programming for the center. The first programs lined up are for October and include financial matters and mental health first aid.
Future available programming may also include tobacco cessation, nutrition, 12-step programs, coping skills, anger management, positive affirmations and tips for employment. Keim said the advisory board is also seeking to hire another part-time staff member to assist with daily operations and volunteer coordinating.
"The key now is doing what we said we would do and getting people the help they want," Keim said.
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Rudd may be contacted at erudd@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-8465. Follow her on Twitter @elizabeth_rudd.
